Growing up I was taught that Armistice Day (renamed Veteran’s Day here in the States after WWII) was a day to honor the men who never returned from the trenches of WWI. Each year, I’ve struggled to reconcile my service with the service of those in whose name the national holiday was created for in the first place.
I served in the US Army during peacetime – between Viet Nam and the Gulf War. I never saw combat, although I served with men who did. My enlistment was my way of not going to college. The possibility of dying for my country wasn’t in the equation. When the Iran Hostage Crisis began, just as I was finishing basic training, that possibility became all too evident. While serving in South Korea - Land of the Morning Calm – I saw first hand what student unrest was. In a foriegn country, we US soldiers looked out for one another and the bonds formed last to this day.
As you pause today to remember those that have, are or will serve our nation in military uniform, I’ll remain grateful to have served with men like SFC Herbert Mitchell, SSG Keith Barrett and SGT Edward Owens. To my friends Bob Deo, Ross Vumbaco, Herald Miller and Frank Dame, I thank you for your service. To my husband Bill: 30 years ago and 7,000 miles from home we served together and I thank God every day for that. And as for my service - OK, it counts.
